Genitourinar y Imaging • Original Research

Lane et al.
MRI of the Female Pelvis

Genitourinary Imaging
Original Research

Comparison of Sagittal
T2-Weighted BLADE and Fast
Spin-Echo MRI of the Female Pelvis
for Motion Artifact and Lesion
Detection
Barton F. Lane1 OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BLADE
Fauzia Q. Vandermeer 1 (proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced recon-
Rasim C. Oz1,2 struction [PROPELLER] in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare) MRI compared with con-
Eric W. Irwin1,3 ventional T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) MRI for reducing artifacts and improving image
Alan B. McMillan1 quality when imaging the female pelvis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. Sagittal T2-weighted BLADE and FSE examinations
Jade J. Wong-You-Cheong1
American Journal of Roentgenology 2011.197:W307-W313.

Lane BF, Vandermeer FQ, Oz RC, Irwin EW,
McMillan AB, Wong-You-Cheong JJ
Keywords: BLADE, female pelvis, image artifact, MRI,
periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with
enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER)  CONCLUSION. Imaging of uterine junctional zone anatomy, ovaries, and fibroids was
DOI:10.2214/AJR.10.5918
Received October 5, 2010; accepted after revision
December 12, 2010.
of the pelvis of 26 women were performed on a 1.5-T scanner. Three radiologists assessed the
images for the presence of artifacts, level of anatomic detail, and overall image quality using
a modified Likert scale. Scores for each radiologist and each imaging sequence were analyzed
with a linear mixed model, adjusting for correlation within radiologist and within patient. A
quantitative comparison was conducted to investigate signal uniformity.
RESULTS. The BLADE sequence was superior for evaluation of the junctional zone (p =
0.0019), delineation of ovarian borders and depiction of follicles (p < 0.0001), and detection
of fibroids (p = 0.022). Overall image quality was improved with BLADE, with fewer respira-
tory motion artifacts. The BLADE sequence introduced “radial” artifact that was absent from
the FSE images, but this artifact did not affect image quality. Quantitative analysis revealed
mean coefficients of variation for BLADE and FSE in the uterus of 21.6% and 22.5%, respec-
tively (p = 0.36). The mean coefficients of variation were 4.6% and 6.1% in fat (p = 0.0007),
indicating less variation with BLADE. The mean acquisition times for the BLADE and FSE
sequences were 4 minutes 31 seconds and 3 minutes 46 seconds, respectively.
improved and artifacts were reduced with BLADE compared with FSE. Radial artifact intro-
duced by the BLADE sequence and slightly longer imaging times needed for the BLADE se-
quence were offset by improved image quality.

Presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American
Roentgen Ray Society, Boston, MA.
1
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear
Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine,
22 S Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201. Address
correspondence to B. F. Lane (blane@umm.edu).
2
Present address: American Radiology Associates,
Owings Mills, MD.
3 providing an accurate diagnosis [4], T2-
Department of Radiology, Wheeling Hospital, Wheeling,
WV.
WEB
This is a Web exclusive article.
AJR 2011; 197:W307–W313
0361–803X/11/1972–W307
© American Roentgen Ray Society
M
RI is becoming increasingly
valuable in imaging of the female
pelvis [1–3]. The female pelvic
organs are best delineated by
MRI because of their inherent soft-tissue
contrast and because of MR relaxation prop-
erties. Although many types of MRI se-
quences are performed as part of a routine
imaging protocol and all are important in
weighted imaging sequences are of particular
utility in imaging the female pelvis. T2-
weighted images best depict the anatomic
structure of the uterus and ovaries. One of the
drawbacks of MRI, however, is its sensitivity
to artifacts, particularly artifacts from motion
related to respiration, bowel, or vascular pul-
satility [5, 6]. The presence of motion artifact
degrades image quality and can potentially
impair the radiologist’s ability to make an ac-
curate diagnosis. For a diligent technologist,
the presence of motion artifact may lead to
repeat sequence acquisitions, thus prolonging
the overall time of the examination and ad-
versely affecting patient comfort and depart-
mental workflow.
Different types of imaging sequences have
been developed by MRI manufacturers with
the goal of reducing artifact. This goal has
been achieved predominantly by increasing
the speed of acquisition, such as with HASTE
or steady-state precession techniques. A dif-
ferent approach is the PROPELLER (period-
ically rotated overlapping parallel lines with
enhanced reconstruction) sequence proposed
by Pipe in 1999 [7]. BLADE is a proprietary
variant of the PROPELLER sequence adapt-
ed by Siemens Healthcare. PROPELLER and

AJR:197, August 2011 W307


BLADE sequences use a novel approach with
regard to the method of sampling k-space. Tra-
ditional T2 fast spin-echo (FSE) techniques
fill k-space line by line in a sequential fashion.
These newer imaging sequences fill k-space by
means of radially oriented blades, with resul-
tant oversampling of the center of k-space.
The PROPELLER and BLADE sequenc-
es have been widely marketed and were ini-
tially reported in neuroradiologic applications
for the reduction of motion artifact and im-
proved lesion detection [8–12], particularly
with respect to diffusion-weighted imaging
(DWI) [13–15]. Increasingly, PROPELLER
and BLADE have been investigated in ab-
dominal imaging applications [16–22]. How-
ever, acquisition and implementation of these
new sequences bring additional expense, and
the extent of their utility has not been detailed
in the literature for all MRI applications. To
our knowledge, no studies have specifically
American Journal of Roentgenology 2011.197:W307-W313.
applied these sequences for imaging the fe-
male pelvis. Our goal in this study was to de-
termine to what extent the BLADE sequence
improves on the more traditional T2-weighted
FSE sequence for imaging the female pelvis.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective HIPAA-compliant study was
approved by our institutional review board, with a
waiver of authorization for obtaining informed
patient consent.
Before full implementation of the Siemens
BLADE package at our institution, we received a
limited trial period for use with one of our 1.5-T MR
scanners (Avanto, Siemens Healthcare). During the
trial period, the BLADE sequence was implemented
in our imaging protocols according to the require-
ments and indications of each of our radiology
subspecialty sections. For abdominal imaging, we
implemented a sagittal BLADE acquisition in the
protocol used to image the female pelvis. At the end
of the trial period, we reviewed the imaging database
to identify all nonpregnant women who underwent
MR examinations using both sagittal BLADE and
T2 FSE sequences. A total of 26 patients were identi-
fied (mean age, 42.4 years; range, 24–60 years), and
the indications for MRI included uterine fibroids (n =
17), cervical cancer (n = 1), adnexal cysts or masses
(n = 4), abnormal bleeding (n = 2), and pelvic pain
(n = 2). The resulting study database contained 52
sagittal imaging series (one BLADE series and one
T2 FSE series for each subject).
The imaging parameters for the BLADE and
FSE sequences are detailed in Table 1. Note that
glucagon is not part of our protocol for imaging
the female pelvis and was not administered to any
patients in this study.
W308 AJR:197, August 2011
Lane et al.
Qualitative Analysis
A modified 5-point Likert rating scale was de-
vised to quantify sequence performance based on
eight separate imaging categories: Four categories
focused on imaging artifacts (bowel motion, “ra-
dial” artifact, respiratory motion, and aliasing),
three categories were related to visualization of
pelvic anatomy (junctional zone, fibroid detection,
and ovaries and follicles), and one category was
overall image quality. Three board-certified ra-
diologists in our abdominal imaging section with
2, 3, and 15 years of subspecialty experience per-
formed the analyses.
For evaluation of imaging artifacts, the review-
ers assessed the degree of artifact present related
to bowel or respiratory motion, radial artifact, and
aliasing artifact (1 = marked, 2 = moderate, 3 =
mild, 4 = minimal, and 5 = absent). Radial artifact
refers to a circular band of signal noise composed
of multiple short radially oriented streaks, appear-
ing much like a halo around the image; this arti-
fact results from the BLADE reconstruction tech-
nique and is present to various degrees on BLADE
sequences. Aliasing artifact refers to the presence
of image “wraparound” secondary to undersam-
pling of data and an FOV that is too small to cover
the area of interest.
For assessment of pelvic anatomy visualiza-
tion, the reviewers evaluated delineation of the
junctional zone (1 = unable to see, 2 = blurry but
visualized, 3 = acceptable, 4 = good, and 5 = ex-
cellent), fibroids (1 = unable to see, 2 = blurry but
visualized, 3 = acceptable, 4 = good, 5 = excellent,
or 6 = not applicable), and ovarian borders and fol-
licles (1 = unable to see, 2 = blurry but visualized,
3 = acceptable, 4 = good, 5 = excellent, or 6 = not
applicable). Scores of 6 were not included in the
analysis of these structures.
For overall image quality, images were rated on
a 5-point scale (1 = unacceptable, 2 = poor, 3 =
average, 4 = good, and 5 = excellent). As can be
seen with all the rating scales, higher Likert rat-
TABLE 1: Imaging Parameters for BLADE a and Fast Spin-Echo (FSE)
MR Sequences
Imaging Parameters BLADE Sequence
TE range (ms)
TR range (ms) 3000–4460
Slice thickness (mm)
Spacing (mm)
Echo-train length
FOV (cm)
Matrix
Average acquisition time (min:s)
aBLADE is the proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruc-
tion (PROPELLER) in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare.
ings correspond to an increase in image quality or
decrease in image noise.
After removal of patient-identifying information
and information that identified the MR sequence or
imaging parameters, the 52 sagittal imaging sets
were presented in random order. Each of the three
radiologists reviewed all 52 imaging sets in a single
session. Each radiologist reviewed the series in the
same order. The reviewers evaluated each series on
our standard PACS (Impax 6.0, Agfa Healthcare)
in the stack mode and had unrestrained ability to
scroll through images and change window and level
settings. No time constraints were placed on image
review. Ratings were recorded on individual score
sheets for each series. These score sheets were
compiled, and the researchers transcribed the data
to electronic spreadsheets (Excel 2003, Microsoft)
for further analysis.
The average Likert scores were calculated for
each image quality category for the T2 and BLADE
sequences for each reviewer, yielding 48 average
scores (8 image quality ratings × 2 imaging se-
quences × 3 reviewers). Scoring for each catego-
ry was analyzed using a linear mixed model with
comparison of the two imaging sequences adjust-
ed for effects of different reviewers and with cor-
relation within and across reviewers. Individual re-
viewer results are shown in Table 2, along with the
mean changes in Likert ratings for the BLADE se-
quences relative to the T2 FSE sequences. When
the intraclass correlation was high within a catego-
ry, pooled data from the three reviewers were also
used for statistical analysis. This was the case for
five of the imaging categories, as shown in Table 3.
Analyses were performed using statistics software
(SAS version 9.1, SAS Institute).
Quantitative Analysis
Uterine midline sagittal images from the
BLADE and T2 FSE series of all subjects were
selected for analysis. For each image, three cir-
cular regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn of the
FSE Sequence
99–133 112–120
4000–5450
5 5
6 6
21 25
30 24–26
384 × 384 230 × 384
4:31 3:46
 MRI of the Female Pelvis

TABLE 2: Mean Likert Scores for BLADEa Sequence Versus Fast Spin-Echo same size and in identical locations on each image
(FSE) Sequence: Individual Reviewer Data corresponding to fat, air, and uterine myometrium
Mean Likert Score (Fig. 1). Coefficients of variation were determined
Image Quality Assessment Category within each ROI, with the results for each tissue
and MR Sequence Reviewer 1 Reviewer 2 Reviewer 3
ROI averaged separately for the BLADE and T2
Junctional zone FSE images. The coefficient of variation is the ra-
BLADE 4.6 3.39 3.85 tio of the SD to the mean. A Wilcoxon rank sum
FSE 4.25 2.95 3.7 test was performed for each ROI pair (BLADE vs
Mean changeb 0.18 0.39 0.74 T2 FSE).
Signal-to-noise ratios were not used when com-
p 0.45 0.1 0.0022
paring the BLADE sequence with the T2-weighted
Fibroid detection FSE sequence because of the presence of radial ar-
BLADE 4.15 2.98 3.5 tifact on the BLADE images. Radial artifact intro-
FSE 3.97 2.59 2.76 duced noise in the image periphery in the air sur-
Mean changeb 0.35 0.44 0.15 rounding the patient; therefore, we believe that these
regions do not accurately represent baseline image
p 0.15 0.059 0.54
noise for all of the imaging sets. This particular ar-
Ovaries and follicles
tifact has been reported previously with DWI of the
BLADE 3.65 3.5 3.48 brain [15]. Other artifacts introduced by the PRO-
FSE 3.05 3.04 3.11 PELLER technique, such as the reported “star”
Mean changeb 0.6 0.46 0.37 artifact with FLAIR imaging of the posterior fos-
American Journal of Roentgenology 2011.197:W307-W313.

p 0.0054 0.027 0.087 sa [11], were not noted on our imaging sequences.

Overall image quality

Results
BLADE 4.15 3.27 3.85 For the three anatomic categories and the
FSE 3.77 3.0 3.5 overall image quality category, the BLADE
Mean changeb 0.38 0.27 0.35 series were rated superior to the FSE series
p 0.0073 0.057 0.015 by all reviewers, although the increased Lik-
Respiratory motion ert rating was not always shown to be sta-
tistically significant for each reviewer. These
BLADE 3.77 4.65 4.62
data are shown in Table 2. As we detailed
FSE 3.39 2.92 2.58 earlier, however, there was good intraclass
Mean changeb 0.38 1.73 2.04 correlation between the reviewers for these
p 0.075 < 0.0001 < 0.0001 categories, so the pooled reviewer data were
Bowel motion also evaluated, as shown in Table 3. The
pooled data show a statistically significant
BLADE 3.11 3.31 3.54
improvement in the Likert ratings for overall
FSE 2.65 3.12 3.92
image quality and junctional zone, fibroid,
Mean changeb 0.46 0.19 –0.38 and ovarian visualization (Figs. 2–3).
p 0.04 0.39 0.085 Less motion artifact was associated with
Aliasing the BLADE sequence than with the T2 FSE
BLADE 4.12 4.92 5.0 sequence; the results are shown in Table 2.
Although good interreviewer agreement was
FSE 2.5 4.8 5.0
noted with regard to anatomic visualization,
Mean changeb 1.62 0.12 0 as we detailed earlier, greater interreviewer
p < 0.0001 0.49 1 variability was found with regard to artifacts
Radial artifact except with radial artifact, which was noted
BLADE 2.96 2.92 3.08 on the BLADE images.
For artifact caused by respiratory motion,
FSE 4.88 5.0 5.0
all three reviewers rated BLADE images bet-
Mean changeb –1.92 –2.08 –1.92
ter than T2 FSE images (Fig. 4); however, this
p < 0.0001 < 0.0001 < 0.0001 difference in scores was statistically significant
Note—The degree of artifact was rated as follows: 1 = marked, 2 = moderate, 3 = mild, 4 = minimal, or 5 = for two of the reviewers but not for the third.
absent. Visualization of the junctional zone was rated 1 = unable to see, 2 = blurry but visualized, 3 = For artifact caused by bowel motion, two
acceptable, 4 = good, or 5 = excellent. Reviewers assessed delineation of fibroids and delineation of ovarian
borders and follicles as 1 = unable to see, 2 = blurry but visualized, 3 = acceptable, 4 = good, 5 = excellent, or reviewers rated BLADE as better than FSE,
6 = not applicable. Scores of 6 were not included in the analysis of these structures. but only one of these results was statistical-
aBLADE is the proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruc-
ly significant. Interestingly, the third review-
tion (PROPELLER) in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare.
bPositive mean change values indicate improvement in BLADE series versus FSE series. er rated the T2 FSE sequence as better than

AJR:197, August 2011 W309

 Lane et al.
TABLE 3: Mean Change in Likert Rating for BLADEa vs Fast Spin-Echo:
Pooled Reviewer Data
Image Quality Assessment Category Mean Changeb in Likert Rating for All Reviewers p (coefficients of variation of 45.7% and 49.6%, re-
Junctional zone 0.44 0.0019
Fibroid detection 0.32 0.022
Ovaries and follicles 0.48 < 0.0001
Overall image quality 0.33 < 0.0001
Radial artifact –1.97 < 0.0001
aBLADE is the proprietary name for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruc-
tion (PROPELLER) in MR systems from Siemens Healthcare.
bPositive mean change values indicate improvement in BLADE series versus fast spin-echo series.
the BLADE sequence for artifact caused by Radial artifact, the presence of which was
bowel motion, although this difference was apparently obvious, was introduced by the
also not statistically significant (Fig. 5). This BLADE sequence. Likert ratings for radi-
category was the only instance of disagree- al artifact showed the largest difference be-
ment among the reviewers. tween the two sequences. This difference
For aliasing artifact, two reviewers rated was shown to be statistically significant, with
BLADE as better than FSE, but one of these good interreviewer agreement (Tables 2 and
results was statistically significant and the 3 and Figs. 2A, 4A, and 6A).
American Journal of Roentgenology 2011.197:W307-W313.
other was not. The remaining reviewer could Quantitative analyses revealed statistically
identify no differences between the sequenc- significant decreased signal variation with
es in terms of aliasing artifact. BLADE compared with T2 FSE in the ROIs
A B
A B
W310 AJR:197, August 2011
corresponding to fat (coefficients of variation of
4.6% and 6.1%, respectively; p = 0.0007) and air
spectively; p < 0.05). A minimal decrease in sig-
nal variation in the ROIs corresponding to uter-
ine tissue was shown with BLADE compared
with T2 FSE (21.6% and 22.5%, respectively);
this difference was not statistically significant.
The time required for BLADE acquisition
was, on average, 45 seconds longer than that
required for FSE T2 acquisition (Table 1).
Discussion
The PROPELLER and BLADE sequenc-
es were developed to reduce motion arti-
fact. The utility of these imaging sequences
in neuroimaging has previously been inves-
tigated. A number of studies have shown
these sequences to be associated with re-
duced motion artifact [9, 11, 13, 14] and im-
proved structure depiction in the brain [10,
11, 13]. Abdominal imaging applications of
PROPELLER and BLADE, such as hepatic
[16–21] and renal [22] MRI, have also been
Fig. 1—37-year-old woman with uterine leiomyoma
and dysfunctional bleeding.
A and B, Midline sagittal T2 images show method
of quantifying signal uniformity. Regions of interest
(circles) of same size corresponding to air, fat, and
soft tissue (i.e., uterus) were placed in same locations
on BLADE image (A) and fast spin-echo (FSE) image
(B). BLADE = proprietary name for periodically
rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced
reconstruction (PROPELLER) in MR systems from
Siemens Healthcare.
Fig. 2—37-year-old woman with uterine leiomyoma and
dysfunctional bleeding (same patient as in Figure 1).
A and B, Midline sagittal T2 images show intramural
leiomyoma in posterior uterine body (arrowheads)
and normal junctional zone (arrows). Note improved
border delineation of fibroid and transitional zone on
BLADE image (A) relative to fast spin-echo image
(B). BLADE = proprietary name for periodically
rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced
reconstruction (PROPELLER) in MR systems from
Siemens Healthcare.

A B
American Journal of Roentgenology 2011.197:W307-W313.
A B
A B
reported to yield reduced artifacts and im-
proved lesion detection. To our knowledge,
no studies investigating the utility of these
sequences in the pelvis have been reported.
AJR:197, August 2011 W311
MRI of the Female Pelvis
Our results indicate anatomic depiction and
overall image quality were improved with the
BLADE sequence when compared with the
standard T2-weighted FSE sequence. As de-
Fig. 3—24-year-old woman with pelvic pain.
A and B, Sagittal T2 MR images show normal ovary
contains multiple small follicles (arrows). Note
improved border delineation of follicular walls on
BLADE image (A) relative to fast spin-echo image
(B). BLADE = proprietary name for periodically
rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced
reconstruction (PROPELLER) in MR systems from
Siemens Healthcare.
Fig. 4—41-year-old woman with uterine leiomyoma.
A and B, Sagittal T2 MR images show artifact related
to respiratory motion (arrows, B), as evidenced
by ghosting anterior to patient on fast spin-echo
(FSE) image (B). Note absence of motion artifact on
BLADE sequence (A). BLADE = proprietary name
for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines
with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) in MR
systems from Siemens Healthcare.
Fig. 5—43-year-old woman with uterine leiomyoma.
A and B, Sagittal T2 MR images show artifact
related to bowel motion (arrow, B), as evidenced by
blurring and poor definition of colonic wall on fast
spin-echo (FSE) image (B). Note sharp borders and
definition of colonic wall (arrowhead, A) on BLADE
image (A). BLADE = proprietary name for periodically
rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced
reconstruction (PROPELLER) in MR systems from
Siemens Healthcare.
tailed in the Results section, the improved rat-
ings were not always statistically significant
for each individual reviewer; however, a trend
of superior scores for the BLADE sequence

A B
was seen for all three reviewers. To improve
statistical significance, we used pooled re-
viewer data when appropriate.
Pooled data showed statistically signifi-
cant improvements for the BLADE sequence
American Journal of Roentgenology 2011.197:W307-W313.
in overall image quality and depiction of the
junctional zone, fibroids, and ovaries. These
improvements were seen despite the intro-
duction of radial artifact by the BLADE se-
quence, the presence of which was the most
statistically significant change identified on
the BLADE sequence among all of the cat-
egories we investigated.
With regard to motion artifacts, there was
increased variability in reviewer ratings, as de-
tailed in the Results. Pooled data could not be
used because intraclass correlation was poor
among reviewers for these categories. Arti-
fact from respiratory motion appeared to be
improved with BLADE; however, there is less
certainty regarding bowel motion and aliasing.
The only statistically significant results for
these two categories, from the same reviewer,
did show an improvement with BLADE.
The quantitative analysis showed a slight
decrease (i.e., improvement) in tissue inho-
mogeneity with the BLADE sequence.
Limitations
The subjective nature of the radiologists’
qualitative assessments in this study, poten-
tially compounded by differences in review-
er experience and inherent biases, could have
affected the results. An additional confound-
ing issue is the presence of radial artifact on
the BLADE sequences. Despite the fact that
the presentation of images was randomized
and reviewers were not informed about the
type of sequence used, this artifact might
have enabled some reviewers to identify the
sequence type on some of the image sets. Be-
cause the reviewers had no inherent motiva-
W312 AJR:197, August 2011
Lane et al.
tion to rate one sequence as better than the
other, we believe that this limitation is un-
likely to have biased the results. Study size
was also limited, with small numbers of sub-
jects and reviewers. This may explain why,
despite agreement among reviewers in rating
the BLADE sequence as superior to the T2
FSE sequence, not all individual ratings were
statistically significant. Although the pooled
data were appropriately used when there was
high interclass correlation, this does intro-
duce a potential source of error.
A limitation of the quantitative analy-
sis was the inability to measure traditional
signal-to-noise ratios. Moreover, the ROIs
were placed manually to measure the coef-
ficients of variation for the different tissues,
which may have introduced some variability,
although the size and location of the ROIs
were maintained constant.
Summary
The results of our small-sample study sug-
gest that the use of the BLADE sequence can
improve image quality and can potentially
reduce motion artifacts when imaging the fe-
male pelvis. Although our study does not de-
finitively prove the diagnostic benefit of this
PROPELLER-based sequence, the potential
exists given the improved image quality. Al-
though the cost of implementing a new se-
quence is not trivial, our results and those of
researchers imaging other body regions with
PROPELLER-based sequences suggest that
adding the BLADE sequence to MRI proto-
cols for imaging the female pelvis could be
beneficial. Currently, the BLADE sequence
adds a marginal increase in acquisition time.
However, the current time penalties with
BLADE may be reduced or overcome as new-
er applications of this imaging sequence are
investigated, as has been the case with neuro-
Fig. 6—43-year-old woman with dysfunctional
uterine bleeding.
A and B, Midline sagittal T2 MR images show intense
ring around edge (arrows, A) of BLADE image
(A), so-called “radial” artifact. This artifact does
not interfere with interpretation of more central
structures but could potentially obscure peripheral
lesions. This artifact is absent on FSE image (B). See
also Figures 2A and 4A. BLADE = proprietary name
for periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines
with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) in MR
systems from Siemens Healthcare.
imaging [23, 24]. We believe that the current
increase in acquisition time is justified by the
potential benefits of the BLADE sequence.
Acknowledgment
We thank Nancy Knight for her assistance
with reviewing and editing the manuscript.
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